"Look out," Sliske said, before punching him in the face.

Wahisietel, human face already stinging from prior blows, reeled backwards as he swiped back at his brother. Sliske dodged it with ease before lashing out with a kick that sent Wahisietel sprawling to the floor.

Wahisietel started to scramble away, but Sliske was ready for him, and planted his foot on his chest. Wahisietel writhed ineffectually for a few seconds before he conceded.

Sliske removed his foot, but did not offer his hand. "Well," he said. "Best… nineteen out of twenty?"

"Very funny," Wahisietel said, and propped himself up on his elbows. Human bodies were so frail- it would be a few minutes before he even wanted to try getting up.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Sliske said. "We have two weeks to get you walking, talking, and acting like a human, and that means fighting like one. We haven't even started using swords."

Wahisietel cringed, and got to his feet. The floor of his lobby, having been transformed into a practice arena, was not as steady as it should have been, and one of his eyes was going to swell shut before too long, he could feel it. "I'm still not clear on why I couldn't be an… Icyene, or something that can actually handle itself."

Sliske sighed. "Are you joking? An Icyene no one has ever heard of showing up at Silvarea, expecting to be accepted with no questions? I really don't know why we don't let you make the plans, Wahisietel."

The Mahjarrat now had an ego to match his battered face. "Yeah, whatever," he said.

"Now, a human showing up without a story, ready to fight for Saradomin? There are thousands of those wandering about. Trust me, this is the best way."

Wahisietel had to accept that Sliske was right, as usual. If there was one creature in creation that no one would take a second look at these days, it was a human who had lost everything.

Still, it didn't mean he had to like it.

"So," he said, already wincing at all the possible futures laid out for him here, "shall we continue?"

Sliske did not respond, but shifted into a fighting stance almost imperceptibly. "We shall," he said, a faint grin on his dark human face.

At that moment, there was a knock on his door.

"Ignore it," Sliske said.

"What if it's important?" Wahisietel said, dropping out of his stance. "What if it's from Dagroda?"

"We don't know who it's from," Sliske said, eyes never leaving Wahisietel.

There was a faint roar from outside, and the knocking on his door turned into an incessant pounding.

"Wisakedjak," Wahisietel said, and groaned aloud. Sliske sighed, and finally dropped out of his own stance.

"Better get it," he conceded, shifting into his Mahjarrat form in the blink of an eye. Wahisietel did the same, and moved to open the door.

Wisakedjak stood bolt upright when the door opened as he faced the two Mahjarrat. He looked livid, although Wahisietel wondered how much of that was just his normal irascibility.

"If you two are done with your sleepover," he growled. "Your presence is required."

"By Dagroda?" Wahisietel asked skeptically. He'd already been summoned twice by him in the past few days, which was more than he'd been summoned in the past decade.

"No," Wisakedjak said. "This is more… personal." He leveled his glare at Sliske, who stared impassively back.

Oh no, Wahisietel thought. The last thing they needed was to have Wisakedjak and Sliske at each other's throats. Well, more than they already are. "I'm sure that whatever you have planned is quite important," he said as earnestly as he could, "but Sliske and I-"

"Oh, you're not invited," Wisakedjak said, sounding a modicum more satisfied.

"I'm sorry?"

"Oh, that's all right. I didn't want you along anyway." Wisakedjak somehow managed to smirk and glare at the same time.

"This is a matter that concerns only us," Sliske said reluctantly.

Wahisietel glanced from Sliske to Wisakedjak, and back again. "What matter is that?" he asked.

"Not your business," Wisakedjak said. Sliske shrugged, and kept his face impassive.

"We will have to continue this later," Sliske said. "I hope what I have taught you so far will be put to good use. You will need it soon."

Wahisietel frowned. "What?" Was there a test incoming? He didn't think Sliske would try anything too strenuous just yet, but he also knew that this was his brother they were talking about.

Sliske nodded seriously. "Yes. Very soon. You must be on your guard. After this, I will teach you how to avoid being followed."

Wahisietel frowned. There was something here that Sliske was telling him. "O…kay."

Wisakedjak was standing by, looking confused and, as a direct result of that confusion, angry. "Alright," he said roughly. "Let's go." He turned on his heel and left, Sliske following closely behind him.

Wahisietel sighed, and leaned against a wall. He wished that Sliske, for once in his life, could be clear about something. That he didn't have to sort through his words like they were pieces to a puzzle where the correct outcome didn't make sense anyway.

Avoid being followed. Very soon. Must be on your guard.

Wahisietel sighed as, ever so slowly, the pieces started to fall into place. He wasn't sure he liked what the final picture was.

He shifted back into his human form, just in case.

…

About ten minutes into his stealth mission, Wahisietel began to wonder if he'd misinterpreted.

His brother and Wisakedjak were nowhere to be found. He thought he had caught a glimpse of them, walking alongside what looked like a talkative human merchant, but they had vanished into the crowd and Wahisietel had not been able to locate them again.

Now, he leant against a ramshackle building that was very likely supposed to be a general store, and pondered what to do next.

He tried to put himself into the mind of Sliske, and stopped, because only Sliske could know Sliske's mind, and sometimes, Wahisietel suspected, not even then.

So, Wisakedjak. What on earth could he want Sliske for? Were they working together on something? That thought was vaguely horrifying, but not out of the realm of possibility. There was a reason, after all, that Dagroda had kept Sliske in the city.

If they were working on something, where would they go? Here, Wahisietel's inquiry hit a wall. There was always the palace, but that was only as valid as anywhere else in the city, especially since Wisakedjak had wanted to keep whatever-it-was a secret.

Shaking his head in frustration, he got to his feet – and almost immediately crashed into a passing human. He fell to the ground again. He looked up to see a tall human, clad in armor more lightweight than the standard for Senntisten's armies. Practice armor, he supposed.

"Give a man a warning next time, would you?" came his irritated voice over Wahisietel's apologies. He looked down and, after a moment, extended his hand. The Mahjarrat took it with some hesitation.

"Sorry," he said again. "I was… in thought."

"Hmph," the man said, but his voice softened. "That's alright. We all think, although sometimes it doesn't seem like it. My name's Anglen," he offered.

"Ali," Wahisietel said in reply, the chosen name flowing more easily off his tongue than he had anticipated.

"Thought you looked Menaphite. Are you from down south?"

This question froze Wahisietel for a moment. "Oh, no. I was born in the city. My parents are, though. From down south, I mean."

Anglen nodded. "Well, I should be going. I hope we see each other again." He proffered his hand, which Wahisietel took. His grip was stronger than Wahisietel had previously considered polite.

As Anglen walked away, a thought occurred to Wahisietel. "Wait!" he called.

The man turned.

"Did you see two Mahjarrat on the streets, by any chance?" he asked, wincing internally at the oddity of the question.

"Oh, them?" he laughed. "Who hasn't?"

"Which way did they head in?" Wahisietel asked.

Anglen's face turned serious. "West of here," he said. "Towards the market. But I have to say, I wouldn't follow those two if I were you. They're Mahjarrat, first of all, and you know those don't think twice about chewing us up and swallowing." It took Wahisietel a couple of seconds to remember that us meant humans. "Second of all, I'm certain one of them was Sliske, and gods know what he'll do to you if he finds you."

Gods knew, indeed. "Right," he said. "Thanks."

Anglen nodded, and was gone.

Wahisietel loosened his shoulders. He hadn't been aware that they were tense.

Well, that was… strange. He wasn't sure he'd ever had a full conversation with another sentient being that wasn't about war or power or some other gruesome topic. It had been so… casual. Like this Anglen had wanted to know these things just to know them.

And after he had run into him like that! If it had been a Mahjarrat (or a demon, gods forbid) they would have been just as likely to see his body floating in a river.

Yes, it had been strange. But not unpleasant.

He shook his head, and headed west.

…

Wahisietel, indeed, found them at the gate, in the midst of the great market that had grown there. Now, he wasn't sure how he had missed them before. The humans parted around them like water about stones, or mice from cats, and even the demons seemed to go about their business with somewhat more haste than they would have before.

Wisakedjak leant in and whispered something to Sliske, who nodded gravely and gestured directly towards Wahisietel. He froze, waiting for Wisakedjak to turn and start snarling at him, but he seemed unconcerned with Sliske at the moment.

With a swish of his cloak, Wisakedjak began to stride towards the two great gates that separated the Lower District from the Upper. Wahisietel watched with interest as Wisakedjak appeared to negotiate with the demons standing guard on the tower. One of them signaled to his counterparts, and after a few minutes, the gate began to open. Wahisietel caught a glimpse of some confused and frightened humans peering through the other side as the two Mahjarrat entered their midst, but their images vanished when the gate closed.

Slowly, the market settled into its normal routine. Wahisietel frowned, and stared at the great gates.

How on earth was he to get through them? He could always change back into his true form, but Wisakedjak would almost certainly notice, if not right away, then the second he stepped through the gates.

He sighed, and rubbed the back of his head. He wondered if Sliske had meant for this to be part of the challenge, and if so, when he had earned so much undeserved credit.

A dozen plans ran through his mind and were summarily discarded. He considered climbing the wall, but the demons would be on him in an instant, and the last thing he wanted was to massacre the very force he had helped install.

He kicked the ground, frustrated. It looked as though he would have to turn back. Despite his annoyance with his brother, the thought of failing his test stung like hell. No, he was no Sliske, but he should at least be able to complete some simple task.

He sighed, and began the trek back to his house.

Wait.

There was one thing he hadn't thought to try.

He started towards the gate. The demons watched him lazily, but some grew more wary the closer he drew. They gripped their weapons and their stares turned into glares.

He stopped short of the great doors, and craned his neck to look up at the demons on the wall. For a moment, there was silence. Even the noise of the market seemed to have calmed.

Finally, he spoke. "Hello!" he beamed up at them, waving.

They said nothing, but looked somewhat surprised, if Wahisietel was any judge of demon expressions.

"May I go through?" he yelled.

One of them was agape. There was a scuffle of movement as they communicated with one other in low voices. One of them turned back to Wahisietel.

"What business have you in the Lower District?" it asked.

Wahisietel shrugged, and grinned at them. "Oh, you know," he said. "Travel, see new sights, take a look at how the other half lives. That sort of thing."

Wahisietel almost felt sorry for the demon. It had likely never encountered such a thing before. It retreated to confer with its fellows once again.

As they spoke, Wahisietel could feel the eyes of all sorts of humans on him. It was likely that very few, if anyone, had done what he was doing. He wondered if that was something to be concerned about.

The demons returned, with the one who had spoken standing in front of them all. "Very well," it rumbled. "Do not, however, take this as a promise of safety. We do not care what happens to you beyond these gates."

Zaros, it was like he was trying to leave the city itself. "Thank you," he said respectfully.

The demon just snarled at him, and disappeared. Seconds later, the gate started to open, heavy and deliberate.

The faces of the Lower District appeared again, although this time they looked more surprised than fearful as the rich merchant Ali of the Menaphites stepped through the gates, fresh-faced and apparently powerless.

As the gates swung closed behind him, Wahisietel really, really hoped that his brother knew what he was doing.

Forget that. I hope I know what I'm doing.

…

This part of the Lower District was little the better for its proximity to the gates and the market. The buildings were somewhat cleaner, perhaps to appeal to visitors, but Wahisietel could see as much trash in the streets as anywhere, and more importantly, the same look in the people's eyes.

Perhaps, at this juncture, it would be wiser to ditch his human form. Rich merchants didn't always fare well in the hungriest parts of the city. But still, the drive to succeed stayed him. He'd have to have a serious look at his mental health after this was over, but for now, he'd keep being Ali. Besides, it wasn't like any serious harm could come to him here.

The humans watched him as he made his way through the square, some more closely than others. Some were gawking openly, clearly surprised to see someone such as him amongst them.

As he left the market behind, many of them lost interest and subsequently, he in them. His real task was to find Sliske. And Wisakedjak, but that was more like an unpleasant bonus.

"Excuse me," he said to a woman making her way to the market with as much joviality as he could muster. "Have you seen two… Mahjarrat that may have gone this way?"

The woman eyed him suspiciously. "May have," she said. "Dunno what you'd want with their kind."

"I must speak with them."

"Of course," she said, looking at his clothing. "Wondrin' how many normal humans you get to eat for breakfast this morning?"

Wahisietel flushed. "I, I don't know-"

"Hmmph," she snorted, and then pointed further down the street. "They went that way," she said grudgingly.

"Thank you, ma'am. "

The woman positively shrieked with laughter as she moved past him. "Ma'am!" she yelled to the sky. "He calls me ma'am!"

Wahisietel's blush grew deeper, but he shook it off. At least he knew where the two Mahjarrat had gone.

He set off down the street. As he did, fewer and fewer people appeared on the streets, although he did see many houses with a faint glow coming from inside. Some peered out of their windows at him, but most seemed not to notice or care about him at all.

It was a… liberating feeling.

He turned down an alley, and all benevolent thoughts vanished.

He felt a rough pair of arms encircle him as he crashed to the floor. Immediately he tried to get free, but they held him fast. "Got him!" came a growling voice from behind him.

Wahisietel stopped. "Wisakedjak?" he asked incredulously.

"That's enough, Wisakedjak." Sliske's voice joined the fray as his brother entered Wahisietel's field of vision. With a satisfied growl, Wisakedjak released him.

After a few moments of breath-catching and getting to his feet, Wahisietel turned to face the two Mahjarrat, one of which was grinning like a child who had just stolen a cookie. "What the hell?" he demanded.

"I can say the same for you. You were the one following us," Sliske said with a slight smile.

"I – You-" Wahisietel stammered. He had assumed that he knew Sliske's intentions, but there was always the possibility that he had misinterpreted.

Wisakedjak let out a bellow that may have been a laugh. "You know, I thought this was insane when Sliske asked me to do this," he said, "but he promised that I'd be able to tackle you if you did catch up with us, and that was too good to resist."

"And I thank you for it," Sliske said.

"You will owe me something, don't forget," Wisakedjak responded, slapping the other Mahjarrat on the shoulder.

"Of course," Sliske said evenly. "I suppose you have somewhere better to be for now."

If Wisakedjak knew this was a dismissal, he didn't react to it. "Well," he said, posing ridiculously. "I have many better places to be. I should be going." With that, he strode out of the alley, repeating his shoulder-slap on Wahisietel.

So. It had been a ruse. Wahisietel glared at Sliske, who offered his cheeriest smile in return.

"Don't feel bad, brother," he said. "You did quite well. I thought perhaps the gate part was too much, but I see I've underestimated you. Again."

Wahisietel couldn't pretend those words didn't feel good. "So," he said. "What was the point of this? To teach me how to follow?"

"Oh, heavens no," Sliske said. "Following is easy. I shouldn't have to teach you that. Did you meet any interesting humans on the way here?"

That was an odd question. "Yes," he said, thinking of Anglen and the woman in the streets.

"Good," Sliske said, nodding. "Good. Did you have an interesting conversation with any of them?"

"Yes…"

"Well," Sliske continued, "I must call this a categorical success, then."

"This was about the humans?"

"Who else?"

Wahisietel frowned. "I understand I will be amongst humans at the camp, but surely being able to carry a conversation would be simple, yes?"

"That right there," Sliske said, "is why this was necessary. No human talks like that, I'm sure you've found out. You have to blend in, Wahisietel. Humans, especially soldiers, can smell nobility from a mile away, and most of them don't like the stench."

Wahisietel nodded. "I… think I understand."

"Good. We have a lot more work to do before you're ready. Possibly more work than we have the time for. Now, we should go back to the Upper District."

Sliske proceeded down the alleyway as Wahisietel started to follow. Gratefully, he ditched the human skin. Something about it made him feel… unsafe. Like he was that much more vulnerable in a world that wasn't very safe to begin with.

This time, the humans definitely took notice of him. They hurried out of his way and cast him dark glances.

This felt… bad.

"I think this training is starting to go to my head," Wahisietel confided.

Sliske raised an eyebrow. "I should hope so."

Wahisietel sighed, and followed Sliske through the darkened streets.